Donna Bigelow

Donna Bigelow passed peacefully from this life Monday morning, April 25 after becoming weak on Easter Sunday due to natural causes from age. Being the last of her immediate family here on earth she joined her loved ones in what must have been a wonderful reunion. Donna was born in Panguitch Utah on September 1, 1918 to Moses Willard Bigelow MD and Amy Ilene Allred. She was the 5th of 8 children. She and her siblings always talked about their wonderful childhood and the happy times they shared. At an early age Donna loved school and school activities and was very talented in many areas such as art, sewing, poetry, singing and playing the piano and ukulele. These talents she shared throughout her life with those she loved and with the children she taught. Donna graduated from Garfield County High School in 1936 and went on to attend the U of U and Arizona Teachers College then later finished her bachelors degree at BYU in Elementary Education in 1942. She taught school for 37 yrs., 16 years were spent in the classroom and 21 years were spent as a teacher of homebound and hospitalized children. She always had crafts, sewing, books and songs at her home for all the children that visited. She was proud to be a school teacher and was a member of the Alpha Delta Kappa Sorority for women teachers and later the Business and Professional Womens Club, and held several officer and chairman positions in each of these. With summers off she and her sister Lois would travel to professional meetings all around the US and to visit family. Traveling became a lifelong joy to them and they traveled throughout the world together. Donna was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints serving in many different auxiliaries throughout her life. She served a mission in the Western States Mission in 1939 and later to the California Ventura mission in 1984 with her sister Lois. She and Lois were very generous in all areas of their service within the church and within their family. Donna is survived by her sister-in-law Bonnie Bigelow and numerous nieces and nephews who were blessed to know and love her and even travel with her. Funeral Services will be held Friday May 6. 2011 at 11:00 am at Russon Brothers Mortuary, 1941 No. Main St. Farmington UT, where friends and family can call from 9:45 – 10:45 am prior to services. Interment at Elysian Burial Gardens, 1075 E. 4580 So. SLC UT The family would like to thank the staff and friends at Apple Tree Assisted Living for the love, friendship and happiness they brought into Donna’s life these past several years. They were amazing! Also, another thank you to Caregiver Support Network for helping Donna these last months of her life.